Latest news with #ChadFike
Global News
7 days ago
- Sport
- Global News
Horse euthanized after injury during Stampede chuckwagon race
Officials from the Calgary Stampede said a horse that was hurt during a chuckwagon race on Saturday was put down. A Stampede spokesperson said a horse on Chad Fike's team sustained a racing injury during the eighth heat. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy They said medical care was immediately dispatched, but following an assessment, the owner and the veterinary team made the 'humane decision' to euthanize the horse. An entry on the World Professional Chuckwagon Association website says Fike, who lives in Cremona, Alta., is a fourth-generation chuckwagon competitor. The horse is the first reported animal death at the 2025 Calgary Stampede, which wraps Monday. Three horses and a steer were euthanized at last year's Stampede, and animal rights groups have long called for the rodeo portion of the event to be eliminated because of the deaths.
CTV News
13-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Horse euthanized following Saturday chuckwagon races at Calgary Stampede
A horse from Chad Fike's team was euthanized Saturday night following the eighth heat of the 2025 Rangeland Derby at the Calgary Stampede. An injured horse was euthanized following the chuckwagon races Saturday night at the Calgary Stampede. Stampede CEO Joel Cowley confirmed the incident in a Sunday press conference. 'Last night, there was an unfortunate incident,' Cowley said. 'Chad Fike, in the eighth heat of the Rangeland Derby, had a right wheel horse -a horse named Rider - suffer a fracture to his left front cannon bone. 'Upon consulting with the veterinarian on the track, it was decided that the most humane thing to do would be to euthanize that animal. 'Our condolences go out to the Fike family for their loss.' Fike pulled up during the eighth heat and received no time. The race was shown on tape delay on television and there was no mention of the incident on the broadcast apart from mentioning that Fike didn't finish. 'Prevent more suffering and deaths': VHS Sunday morning, Vancouver Humane Society campaign director Emily Pickett issued a statement, calling for the rodeo and chuckwagon races 'to be removed from the Stampede program to prevent more suffering and deaths.' Animal cruelty protest, Calgary, July 6, 2025 Animal rights activists protested rodeo and chuckwagon events at the Calgary Stampede Sunday afternoon. (Jordany Kanygin, CTV Calgary) 'The Stampede has built a careful narrative claiming organizers care about animal welfare, but animals die almost every single year. It's simply not worth the risk. If they truly cared, the so-called Half-Mile of Hell would be a thing of the past,' Pickett added. Sunday afternoon, Animal Justice issued a release calling for the Calgary Humane Society, which is responsible for enforcing Alberta's animal protection laws within the city, to investigate the incident and 'hold those responsible for causing distress, injury, and suffering accountable.' 'It is 2025, but these completely preventable killings continue to happen,' said Camille Labchuk, lawyer and executive director at Animal Justice. 'It's absurd that Stampede organizers permit this brutal spectacle to continue where horses are doomed to die nearly every year.' Saturday night's horse death was the first one of the 2025 Stampede. This is a developing story that will be updated throughout the day. With files from CTV's Jordan Kanygin
CBC
13-07-2025
- Sport
- CBC
'Humane decision': Horse euthanized after injury during Calgary Stampede chuckwagon race
Officials from the Calgary Stampede say a horse that was hurt during a chuckwagon race on Saturday has been euthanized. A Stampede spokesperson says a horse on Chad Fike's team sustained a racing injury during the eighth heat. They say medical care was immediately dispatched, but following an assessment, the owner and the veterinary team made the "humane decision" to euthanize the horse. An entry on the World Professional Chuckwagon Association website says Fike, who lives in Cremona, Alta., is a fourth-generation chuckwagon competitor. The horse is the first reported animal death at the 2025 Calgary Stampede, which wraps today. Three horses and a steer were euthanized at last year's Stampede, and animal rights groups have long called for the rodeo portion of the event to be eliminated because of the deaths.
Hamilton Spectator
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Horse euthanized after injury during chuckwagon race at Calgary Stampede
CALGARY - Officials from the Calgary Stampede say a horse that was hurt during a chuckwagon race on Saturday has been euthanized. A Stampede spokesperson says a horse on Chad Fike's team sustained a racing injury during the eighth heat. They say medical care was immediately dispatched, but following an assessment, the owner and the veterinary team made the 'humane decision' to euthanize the horse. An entry on the World Professional Chuckwagon Association website says Fike, who lives in Cremona, Alta., is a fourth-generation chuckwagon competitor. The horse is the first reported animal death at the 2025 Calgary Stampede, which wraps today. Three horses and a steer were euthanized at last year's Stampede, and animal rights groups have long called for the rodeo portion of the event to be eliminated because of the deaths. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Toronto Sun
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Chuckwagon horse euthanized after injury at Calgary Stampede races
Stampede CEO Joel Cowley confirmed the horse, named Rider, suffered a bone fracture during the event Night one photo: Earlier in the week, Chad Fike finished with the leading time in the Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede on Friday, July 4, 2025. Photo by Mike Drew / Postmedia A horse was euthanized after sustaining an injury Saturday night at the Calgary Stampede's Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Stampede CEO Joel Cowley confirmed the horse suffered a bone fracture during the event. 'Upon consulting with the veterinarian on the track, it was decided that the most humane thing to do would be to euthanize that animal,' Cowley said during a Sunday press conference. On Saturday, the horse was loaded onto a trailer as announcer Les McIntyre told the crowd that the horse would get the best care and would hopefully be able to return to racing. The horse was part of the rig of Chad Fike, a fourth-generation driver who has been coming to the Stampede for more than 10 years. The Saturday night injury occurred in Heat 8 of the chuckwagon races. A time-delayed television broadcast of the race showed Fike's rig starting the race with two other competitors, but didn't make mention of why the race ended with only those two other competitors crossing the finish line. Later in the broadcast, it was announced Fike had received 'no time' in the race and had 'pulled up' in the back part of the track. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Earlier this week, Fike talked to Postmedia Calgary about how important his horses are, saying he puts countless hours into their care. 'It's about a 16-hour day in the summer — getting up early, making sure they always have food in front of them, they're staying cool and hydrated,' said Fike. 'They are professional athletes, and they have to be treated like that.' Rae Croteau, Jr., left, and Jason Glass finish Heat 8 of the Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races at the Calgary Stampede without fellow driver Chad Fike, who didn't finish the race due to an injured horse on Saturday, July 12, 2025. Mike Drew/Postmedia The Calgary Stampede is known as a leader when it comes to rodeo and chuckwagon safety, and late last month held a news conference to share new research and safety protocols. Items are installed in barns including misters — to keep animals cool when the temperature rises — as well as a saltwater spa to help reduce swelling of horses' joints and muscles. Importantly, the Stampede has a fitness-to-compete program, which makes sure that before any chuckwagon horses are put on the track they are in good shape. At the start of the day, veterinarians check every horse that will be used in the races, which includes a check of their temperature, heart rate and overall wellness. Vets do another check around 5 p.m. daily, before the horses get final clearance to race. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Our goal is to create the very safest conditions possible,' Kristina Barnes, the Stampede's director of agriculture and western events, said shortly before this year's Stampede. The Stampede has a team of veterinarians on site 24 hours a day, as well as an animal behaviour specialist and a third-party auditor who works to identify improvements that can be made. 'If any animal at the rodeo is showing any signs of distress, it does not compete,' Barnes said. Beginning in April of each year, the Stampede's venue maintenance teams begin preparing the track and infield for the rodeo. The conditions of the track play a major role in the safety of rodeo events. 'About 1,800 hours have been put into this area to this point,' Barnes said in late June. 'They will continue to work moving up to Stampede, and they'll go overnight if they need to, to make sure the track conditions are safe.' Additionally, the Stampede's continued partnership with the University of Calgary's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is leading industry research on animal welfare and safety. Toronto & GTA Golf Toronto Raptors Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA
